1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to particulate distribution, and more specifically to an apparatus that distributes food particulate, such as grated or shredded cheese, IQF (Instantaneously Quick Frozen) vegetables, or meats, over a discrete region of a moving substrate, such as the central portion of an upper surface of a pizza crust.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pizza crusts and other food substrates, such as breads, meats and food trays, often must be coated with cheese or other particulate. In conventional food processing facilities, such substrates are conveyed rapidly beneath one or more machines that form and apply toppings to the crusts.
In order to coat a substrate, such as a pizza crust, with particulate, such as cheese, the cheese is conventionally cascaded onto the moving crusts as the crusts pass beneath the coating machine. However, a significant amount of cheese falls between circular crusts and is lost or must be recirculated, which is undesirable. Furthermore, the cheese covers at least some of the crust edges, which is sometimes undesirable. Furthermore, most cascade-type coating devices apply different amounts of cheese to different crusts, creating inconsistencies, which are undesirable.
Still further, grated and shredded cheeses can agglomerate to form clumps that cannot easily flow onto crusts. Clumps form when cheese is frozen, or when the particles simply cohere to one another due to the normal physical characteristics of cheese.
Therefore, the need exists for a mechanism that distributes cheese, and other particulate, to crusts, or other moving, discrete substrates. The desired mechanism must distribute a measured amount evenly over a predetermined portion of the surface of every substrate without any appreciable clumping.
The invention is an apparatus for breaking up agglomerated particulate and distributing it. The particulate that is contemplated for use with the present invention includes grated and shredded cheese, but could include other food particulate. The particulate is distributed onto a discrete portion of a moving substrate, such as a pizza crust that is being conveyed along a conveyor belt.
The apparatus includes an axle rotatably mounted to a machine frame. The axle has four paddles mounted to it, and each paddle is mounted at one paddle end to a spaced point around the circumference of the axle. Each paddle extends transversely from the axle for distributing particulate about the axle when the axle is rotating and particulate falls onto the paddles.
A housing is mounted to the machine frame at least partially above the axle. The housing has a throat into which particulate can be poured, such as from a weighing unit, for directing particulate toward the axle.
A plurality of stationary rods is connected to the machine frame. The stationary rods are disposed radially outwardly of the axle and are substantially parallel to one another and preferably to the axle""s axis of rotation. Particulate distributed by the axle""s paddles impinges upon the stationary rods and falls downwardly.
A shroud is connected to the machine frame radially outwardly of the stationary rods. The shroud extends from an upper edge to a lower edge and has an inner surface for limiting the trajectory of particulate.
A vertically adjustable conveyor has a longitudinally displaceable upper surface positioned beneath the lower edge of the shroud. The conveyor is for receiving particulate and conveying it onto a substrate, such as the pizza crust, moving beneath the vertically adjustable conveyor.
A measured amount of cheese is fed into the throat and against the rotating axle. The paddles on the rotating axle strike and throw the particulate radially, including against the stationary rods, the shroud, and the conveyor. The particulate is distributed evenly over the surface of the conveyor as limited, ultimately, by the shroud. The conveyor tilts down away from the shroud""s lower edge and conveys the particulate onto the moving substrate beneath the conveyor.